People's Republic of China
PRC · East Asia · 14 neighbouring countries by land
- Capital
- Beijing
- Largest city
- Shanghai
- Language
- Standard Chinese (Mandarin)
- Demonym
- Chinese
- Government
- Unitary one-party socialist republic
- President
- Xi Jinping (since March 2013)
- Premier
- Li Qiang (since March 2023)
- Currency
- Renminbi (CNY · ¥)
- Area
- ~9.6 million km²
- Population
- 1,404.89 million (end-2025, NBS)
- GDP (nominal)
- ¥140.19 trillion, ~US$20 trillion (2025, NBS)
- WTO member
- Yes — since 11 December 2001
- Customs & tariff
- General Administration of Customs (GACC); Customs Tariff of the PRC
China's Geography & People
China is the largest country in East Asia and shares land borders with 14 countries, including India.
Its population was 1,404.89 million at the end of 2025, down 3.39 million from a year earlier, as deaths outnumbered births (National Bureau of Statistics).
China's Economy
China is the world's second-largest economy. GDP reached ¥140.19 trillion in 2025, about US$20 trillion, growing 5.0% (NBS). GDP per head was about US$13,950.
Manufacturing is the backbone of its trade: mechanical and electrical products make up most of its exports.
China's Trade Policy
Customs is run by the General Administration of Customs (GACC). China joined the WTO in December 2001 and is a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China now conducts just over half of its trade with partner countries of the initiative.
China's Trade Position
China ran a goods trade surplus of $1.19 trillion in 2025, with exports of $3.77 trillion and imports of $2.58 trillion (GACC). Trade with the United States fell 18.7% that year.
In 2026, trade growth has been driven by electronics for the global AI build-out, lifting both exports and imports of chips and computers.
China's Top Trading Partners
Goods · Jan–Aug 2026 · GACC| # | Partner | Total Trade | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 United States | $400.8B | 7.9% |
| 2 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | $344.9B | 6.8% |
| 3 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $330.6B | 6.6% |
| 4 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $259.5B | 5.1% |
| 5 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $252.8B | 5.0% |
| 6 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $243.4B | 4.8% |
| 7 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $185.0B | 3.7% |
| 8 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $177.0B | 3.5% |
| 9 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $152.1B | 3.0% |
| 10 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $148.2B | 2.9% |
Exports plus imports of goods. Ranked among the economies GACC lists individually. As blocs, ASEAN ($862.8B) and the European Union ($608.1B) are larger partners than any single economy. Source: GACC, Total Export & Import Values by Country/Region, August 2026.
India is one of China's fastest-growing trade partners
China–India goods trade reached $125.0 billion in January–August 2026, up 22.6% on the same period of 2025 (GACC). India does not have a free trade agreement with China. Check trade obstacles for your product →
Other Country Profiles
Import Summary
China's Top Import Sources
Goods · Jan–Aug 2026 · GACCLATEST| # | Country | Imports | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $201.8B | |
| 2 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $186.5B | |
| 3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $132.0B | |
| 4 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $120.3B | |
| 5 | 🇺🇸 United States | $100.5B | |
| 6 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $100.4B | |
| 7 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $90.9B | |
| 8 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $89.2B | |
| 9 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $71.0B | |
| 10 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $60.4B |
Ranked among the economies GACC lists individually. Imports from South Korea (up 72.5%) and Taiwan are dominated by chips. Source: GACC, August 2026.
China's Top Imported Products
Jan–Aug 2026 · GACC major importsLATEST| # | Product | Imports | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electronic integrated circuits | $427.7B | 20.2% | ▲ 61.7% |
| 2 | Crude petroleum oils | $196.6B | 9.3% | ▼ 0.4% |
| 3 | Automatic data processing machines & parts | $128.8B | 6.1% | ▲ 105.1% |
| 4 | Iron ores & concentrates | $85.4B | 4.0% | ▲ 10.3% |
| 5 | Copper ores & concentrates | $71.6B | 3.4% | ▲ 33.5% |
| 6 | Unwrought copper & copper products | $44.8B | 2.1% | ▲ 28.6% |
| 7 | Grain (incl. soya beans) | $43.9B | 2.1% | ▲ 14.3% |
| 8 | Natural gas | $36.9B | 1.7% | ▼ 0.3% |
| 9 | Medicinal & pharmaceutical products | $33.5B | 1.6% | ▲ 3.6% |
| 10 | Coal & lignite | $26.7B | 1.3% | ▲ 19.8% |
Commodity groups as defined in GACC's catalogue of key import commodities; change versus January–August 2025. Source: GACC, Major Imports by Quantity and Value, August 2026.
China's Import Trend
Goods · US$| Period | Goods Imports | Change vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Aug 2026 | $2.12T | ▲ 27.0% |
| 2025 (full year) | $2.58T | 0.0% |
Change is against the same period a year earlier. Source: GACC country/region tables, August 2026 and December 2025.
China's Imports by Region
Jan–Aug 2026 · GACC| Region | Imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | $316.7B | ▲ 25.3% |
| Latin America | $201.3B | ▲ 25.9% |
| European Union | $182.8B | ▲ 6.2% |
| Africa | $96.9B | ▲ 19.0% |
China reports trade by regional bloc as well as by country, so this view is included for China. Source: GACC, August 2026.
China's imports from India are rising fast from a small base
China imported $17.2 billion of goods from India in January–August 2026, up 41.3% year on year (GACC). India is not among China's top 10 import sources. Check import duty for your product →
Export Summary
China's Top Export Markets
Goods · Jan–Aug 2026 · GACCLATEST| # | Country | Exports | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | $305.9B | |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | $300.3B | |
| 3 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $163.6B | |
| 4 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $128.9B | |
| 5 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $111.3B | |
| 6 | 🇮🇳 India | $107.8B | |
| 7 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $91.8B | |
| 8 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $91.7B | |
| 9 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $89.1B | |
| 10 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $84.7B |
Ranked among the economies GACC lists individually. A large part of exports to Hong Kong SAR (up 50.4%) is re-exported to other markets. Source: GACC, August 2026.
China's Top Exported Products
Jan–Aug 2026 · GACC major exportsLATEST| # | Product | Exports | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electronic integrated circuits | $256.8B | 8.8% | ▲ 103.9% |
| 2 | Automatic data processing machines & parts | $196.7B | 6.7% | ▲ 49.4% |
| 3 | Motor vehicles | $129.1B | 4.4% | ▲ 53.2% |
| 4 | Garments & clothing accessories | $105.3B | 3.6% | ▲ 2.5% |
| 5 | Textile yarn, fabrics & articles | $98.0B | 3.4% | ▲ 3.7% |
| 6 | Plastic articles | $77.8B | 2.7% | ▲ 11.7% |
| 7 | Mobile phones | $72.7B | 2.5% | ▲ 13.5% |
| 8 | Household electrical appliances | $70.2B | 2.4% | ▲ 6.8% |
| 9 | Vehicle parts & accessories | $69.8B | 2.4% | ▲ 8.3% |
| 10 | Steel & iron products | $53.0B | 1.8% | ▼ 2.1% |
Commodity groups as defined in GACC's catalogue of key export commodities; change versus January–August 2025. Source: GACC, Major Exports by Quantity and Value, August 2026.
China's Export Trend
Goods · US$| Period | Goods Exports | Change vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Aug 2026 | $2.92T | ▲ 19.3% |
| 2025 (full year) | $3.77T | ▲ 5.5% |
Change is against the same period a year earlier. Source: GACC country/region tables, August 2026 and December 2025.
China's Exports by Region
Jan–Aug 2026 · GACC| Region | Exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | $546.0B | ▲ 25.8% |
| European Union | $425.3B | ▲ 15.3% |
| Latin America | $221.4B | ▲ 13.6% |
| Africa | $177.0B | ▲ 25.8% |
China reports trade by regional bloc as well as by country, so this view is included for China. Source: GACC, August 2026.
India buys far more from China than it sells
China's goods trade surplus with India was $90.6 billion in January–August 2026: exports to India far exceed imports from India (GACC). Check trade obstacles →